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Category Archives: Ruger

Ruger recently wrote a letter to shareholders which is worthwhile for everyone to read. They speak about Modern Sporting Rifles and the programs in place which they participate. The finish up with how they feel about banning firearms based on the action of a few criminals. Take a few minutes and read the letter. It will be time well spent.

Sometimes a teachable moment comes along. We noticed a tweet on someone’s page from Shannon Watts who is the director of Mom’s Demand Action For Gun Sense In America. It showed a rifle, a black one, and said, “You can buy this at @SportsmansWH if you’re 18.” We went to Mrs. Watts twitter feed and sure enough the photo below was there with the tweet.

We should take a minute to understand what “THIS” is exactly. Sure it is a black rifle, but what it is really? Look closely and you will notice it is a BOLT ACTION. For those who may not be familiar with rifles, in order to load a cartridge you pull back the bolt and when the bolt is closed a cartridge is removed from the magazine and placed in the chamber. After firing the bolt can be cycled to eject the spent casing and load another cartridge. We really need to peel the onion one step further in this case. In addition to being a bolt action this is also a .22LR. Mrs. Watts would have known this if she had simply typed Ruger 8400 into a Google search and then viewed the results.

We’ve been told all our lives to not judge a book by its cover. Just because a firearm is black and appears tactical it is not an assault weapon. Perhaps Mrs. Watts should work on her “Gun Sense.”

Ruger just announced a Safety Bulletin for older Precision Rifles with an aluminum bolt shroud. Check the Ruger website to see if your rifle may be affected. If you need to replace the bolt shroud there is also a video on the site with the procedure.

Oh Ruger, you are a cruel mistress. You roll out yet another new firearm which temps even the most resolute of us to add it to the collection. The new SR1911 in 10mm is already receiving great reviews. Luckily I am not in the market for another 1911, but if I was this one would certainly be under consideration.

I was disappointed recently by a fellow instructor who discouraged a former student of theirs from pursuing a firearm which has not yet been released. It was obvious the student was drawn to the firearm which IMO is one of the first steps in deciding if you want the firearm or not. Sure if you are going to conceal the firearm you need to think about many, many other topics, but to discourage someone from considering a firearm you have not held, touched, read range reports on, and fully investigated is the equivalent of poor parenting. As an instructor you should assist the student to the best possible firearm for their budget and needs. Had this particular firearm been out on the market with substandard reviews then my opinion of the situation would be much different, but because the only tangible reports were tactile from Shot Show 2017 and the gun is not on the market, to tell a student to overlook it is bad form. I’ve actually had my eye on this particular firearm and believe it may turn out to be a winner. I’ve been wrong many times in the past, but this one looks to me to be on the right track to be a great firearm for IWB carry. Anyway, if you are an instructor and have a favorite manufacturer do not allow that bias to carry over into the decision making process for a student. Just because I am a Ruger fanboy does not mean I would tell someone to avoid an S&W, Bersa, or Taurus, I would fully research the firearm they are considering and would probably head to a large firearm store to put my hands on it and decide for myself before offering an opinion. There is no way I would tell a student anything about a firearm which is not yet on the market other than to read the articles out now and I will be glad to assist them with an evaluation once the firearm has been released.

I just came across an article discussing the new trigger available for the Ruger Mark IV pistol. In fact many inexpensive firearms have affordable yet expensive trigger replacements. This new one from Volquartsen is $105 according to the article, but the firearm it is for retails for about $500. I’m sure the trigger is tits, but putting out 20% of the price of the firearm designed for plinking seems a little steep to me. People like to customize their firearms, but I’ve found my old 22/45 to be just fine the way it came although I did make some minor modifications. The Ruger 10/22 has a trigger set for it from Ruger which runs about $70. I purchased a 10/22 a few years back for $180 so I would be hard pressed to put 40% of the gun value in a new trigger. In the end all that matters is what you actually want for your firearms. If you want to customize with a semi-expensive or expensive part I say go for it, but I’m probably not going to spend the money when the firearm is solid out of the box.

Ruger just rolled out a few new wheel guns and it makes me hate them even more. One was a reworked GP-100 chambered in 44 Special. I gotta admit I don’t get all weak in the knees about a five shot 44 Special when I can get the same gun in a six shot 357 Magnum. Perhaps someone will be all giddy about it, but for me it is a pass. What I do get giggly about is an eight shot Redhawk 357 Magnum. Wowser is that a fantastic look and combination. With a 2.75″ barrel it could easily be carried while out and about, but is not really designed for concealment. I’d prefer a longer barrel and I assume eventually they will roll out more options in terms of barrel length.

It seems Ruger just wants to get under my skin. They continue to tease me with new firearms, many of which are made of unobtanium or I need as bad as another hole in my head. I was on the hunt for a Precision Rifle for awhile, but thus far have come up with a big fat zero at a non-gouge price. I continue to peek every now and again, but have resigned myself to it will happen when it happens. Then recently they rolled out a new SR1911 Target model to tempt me yet again. This one is over a grand so I won’t be bringing it home to meet the family, but this continued temptation is just not healthy. This continued testing of my will power is why I hate Ruger!